Hamilton Theater welcomes film-goers who have autism (video)

HAMILTON -- For a child with a sensory processing disorder, going to the movie theaters can be overwhelming and disorienting.

In hopes of making movie-going more enjoyable, the Hamilton Theater is hosting a four-part sensory-friendly movie series to accommodate a largely under-served population of children with autism and other disorders affecting sensory processing.

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For a person with autism or a sensory processing disorder, the surroundings are chaotic. Normal noises and lights are overwhelming and seem drastically louder and brighter. The built-in "filter" that allows for the environment to be processed by a person's perception is gone, leaving the individual feeling exposed, unsafe, irritated and unable to concentrate.

Going to the movies may be a challenging sensory experiences that can be disorienting and alarming when the lights are turned off and volume turned up. This often means that families with a child with autism or a sensory processing disorder avoid going to the movies.

On Saturday, the conventional boundaries of movie-watching will be erased as the volume is lowered, the lights are only dimmed and children won't have to sit in their seats or be quiet. The theater will replicate a living room and be less like a traditional theater, allowing viewers to multi-task and do whatever is necessary to make themselves comfortable.

Organizer Janet O'Flynn, an occupational therapist with Madison-Oneida BOCES, said children will be welcomed to roam around the theater and "talk their way through the movie."

An often-successful technique in acquainting children with autism or sensory processing disorders to a new environment or situation is repetition, allowing them to feel safe by the predictability of what will happen next. O'Flynn hopes that by affording families this opportunity, children will become comfortable with watching movies and will perhaps be able to watch movies in the typical theater setting.

"This is like training wheels on a bike," she said.

O'Flynn read an article posted on the American Occupational Therapy website that was originally published in The Columbian about a movie theater in Vancouver that is hosting "My Way Matinees" that provide a more conducive setting for children with sensory processing difficulties to watch movies.

From the information she gathered from the article, she was confident that the Hamilton area could provide a similar experience. Hamilton Theater Manager Chuck Fox readily agreed, lending a venue for the program.

"This is different in the sense that there's a specific target audience," Fox said. "It's a little bit of a departure for us but its a way to serve another segment of the community that is under-served."

While families may be reluctant to take their children to the movies because of the distraction they may cause, it will just be part of the experience at the Hamilton Theater, he said. Adjusting the volume and lights will take some experimenting and some feedback from viewers, but Fox said they're more than willing to accommodate those changes.

Some movie theaters offer noise-deadening headphones to bring the volume down even more for those that need it. Fox said the theater is prepared to supply those, too, if there's an interest and a need for them.

Being responsive to the community has been an important mission of the theater, which also offers free movie programs for children, indie films, silent movies, midnight movies and movies outdoors.

"It's a good thing for us to do and we're able to do it," he said.

The sensory-friendly movie series is an extension of an attitude that the Hamilton area has readily embraced: a movement of acceptance and welcoming.initiated by O'Flynn's church, St. Thomas Episcopal, which has challenged itself to better address the needs of the community. While studies show autism affects one in 110 children, the disorder's expansive impact was obvious.

As families with children with autism and other sensory processing disorders don't go many places, going to church -- where everyone is expected to sit quietly -- may seem out of the question, O'Flynn said.

Educating the congregation on autism, O'Flynn stressed the importance of "not making the 'be quiet' face but the 'we're happy you're here' face" as families with children affected by the disorder are encouraged to attend services with the understanding that they will wander around and make noise.

"We wanted to make it clear that you don't have to stay in your house with a child with autism," she said.

The movement that began at the church spread to the town, as O'Flynn was asked to give similar educational classes on autism. Providing education to an entire community has fostered an expansive attitude of welcoming and acceptance to those who may be different, O'Flynn.

While people may already be accommodating to people with physical and mental disabilities, O'Flynn says autism still seems "odd and different" and "hard for people to know how to respond to." More is discovered about the disorder that has no known cause every day and while there's no pill or operation to fix it, the only treatment that stands to be affective is education and community change, O'Flynn said.

People affected by autism aren't broken, they're just different, she emphasized.

The first movie - Disney's "Cars 2" will be played on Saturday and is sponsored by St. Thomas Episcopal Church. "Despicable Me" will be played on July 16, "How to Train Your Dragon" will play on August 6 and "Megamind" will pay on August 27. All films will begin at 12:30 p.m. and admission is free. The last three films still need to be sponsored.

For more information or to sponsor a film contact the Hamilton Theater at (315) 824-8210 or Janet O'Flynn at (315) 708-5820.